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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · shower · bowl · foot · cue · face · cap · pop

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pop — to visit
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cap — of ice
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pop — music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cap — a lid
  17. shower — rain
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — soda
  22. foot — a measure
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com